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Anybody notice that despite the victories, the Dodgers suddenly can’t hit a lick?

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Lost amid the Dodgers terrific pitching of late, their walk-off victories and their having won six of their last eight is this little tidbit:

They’ve stopped hitting.

Almost to a man. Just shrunk up and disappeared. A powerful offense reduced to looking like the feeble Houston Astros.

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Or maybe you didn’t notice that while the Dodgers were masterfully blanking the Diamondbacks for the last 31 innings, they were scoring only two runs in the last 24 innings themselves.

That’s not an offense, that’s a great escape. Steve McQueen should be playing for these guys.

‘I think our at-bats have been OK, but you go through those ups and downs,’ said Manager Joe Torre.

No doubt, but right now it’s like a contagious disease. Not sure if it’s affected their eyes or their strength, but somebody better discover the antidote quick because the lowly D-backs are gone and the red-hot Braves are here for four games.

Aside from Casey Blake, who is driving the ball and has a nine-game hitting streak, and Matt Kemp, who has a modest eight-game streak but has more than a single hit in only one of those games, all the regulars are in slumps of various degrees.

James Loney is 2 for 16.

Russell Martin is 2 for 27.

Blake DeWitt is 0 for 15.

Andre Ethier is 1 for 14 since coming off the disabled list.

Rafael Furcal is only 0 for 7 but has yet to attempt a stolen base since coming off the DL May 25 with a strained hamstring.

Manny Ramirez is 3 for 26.

That’s how good their pitching has been. Six of their eight regulars are slumping, and they’re still winning. Best to not keep counting on that.

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‘If those guys don’t hit, then you’re asking the guys who are sort of the support people to do the job,’ Torre said. ‘And even Furcal is trying to find his stroke.

‘I just think we’re going through a little bit of a dry spell, but hopefully we can start coming out of it.’

Good teams find different ways to win, which always starts with pitching. At some point, though, the offense has to step up. And now would be a very good time.

-- Steve Dilbeck

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